Dust-proof joint



(No Model.)

I E. F. ROBERTS. DUST P ROO'F JOINT.

Nof425,050. Patented A ps, 1 90.

[Na 122N202? I UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

EDWARD F. ROBERTS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

DUST-PROOF JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,050, dated April 8,1890. I

Application filed July 11, 1 8 89.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. ROBERTS, a citizen of Great Britain,residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dust-Proof Joints;and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others Skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the I same,

My invention consists of an improved flexible cap or shield, and acombination of the same with a ball-and-socket joint, forming thereby adustproof joint or pipe-coupling.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional View of aball-and-socket joint with my improved cap attached. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the same. Fig. 3 is a moth-- fication.

One of the great drawbacks to the employment of the ball-and-socketjoint in certain cases where it would otherwise be of great advantagehas been the fact that a certain portion of the wearing-surfaces of thejoint are exposed and accumulate dirt and gritty matters, which rapidlycut out the faces of the joint, and thereby render it leaky. It is myobject to avoid this action by the following apparatus, in which A isthe cup of the ball-and-socket joint, having the packing-pieces D D,within which is the ball B, attached to the pipe G and provided with theopening 0, whereby communication is afforded from the pipe O to the pipeC. The cap E, screwing onto the cup A, holds the packing D D in place.To

prevent the dirt entering through the opening 6 in the cap E andaccumulating on the ball B, I employ the flexible cap composed of thespring-sections K K, which are provided with the abutting spring-flangesL L, which are set in the sleeve or ring F by means of the surroundingsleeve or jam-nut H, which latter is held in place by the set-screw h.

As the pipe 0 is twisted to one Side or the other, the flexible cap,composed of the sectors K K, maintains contact with the face or edge ofthe screw-cap E and prevents the ad- Serial No. 317,140. (No model.)

mission of dirt to the working part of the balland-socket joint,

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the spring-sections K K are providedwith overlapping portions M M, which serve the same purpose as theabutting spring-flanges L L in Fig. 2. They prevent anyopening betweenthe sections of the cap through which dust can enter.

It is evident that when the pipe C is in its normal position withreference to pipe 0 the sections K and K should be in a position ofmedium adjustment, so that whichever way the joint is bent there will bean opportunity for an opening or closing action of the spaces N Nwithout either leaving an opening in the face of the flexible cap orcausing its sections to close together and prevent further adjustment inthat direction. It is evident that other equivalent construct-ions mightbe employed to accomplish this result, and I wish it understood that Ido not confine myself to those illustrated.

The advantages of the use of my invention in positions where, as incar-couplings, there is a great deal of flying dirt and dust areobvious, and the manner of its operation plain.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto protect by Letters Patent, is

1. A dust-proof metallic cap for ball-andsocket couplings, whichconsists of the adjacent but independently-movable spring-sectionswhichare attached to that member of the joint which terminates in theball and which bear against the face of the socket, substantially asdescribed.

2. A dust-proof metallic cap for ball-and- Socket couplings, whichconsists of the independentlynnovable spring-sections which are attachedto that member of the joint which terminates in the.ball and which bearupon the socket, together with the abutting springflanges upon saidsections, substantially as described.

3. A dust-proof metallic cap for ball-andsocket couplings, whichconsists of the adj acent but indopendentlyunovable spring-sea tionswhich are attached to that member of In testimony whereof Iaflix mysignatulein the joint which terminates in the ball and presence of twowitnesses.

which bear against the face of the socket, 1 D together with the sleeveon which said see- EDWARD ROLERFI'S' tions are mounted, and the jam-nutby which itnesses:

they are held in place upon said sleeve, sub- G. \V. DALLOCH,

stantially as described. A. P. SMITH.

